Skilling's ex-girlfriend upset at being 'dragged into' case

Skilling's ex upset at being 'dragged into' caseShe doesn't like how prosecutors presented her or her business

LYNN J. COOK, Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

Published 5:30 am, Friday, May 26, 2006

When former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling took the stand, trial watchers expected to hear about accounting practices and corporate culture. But in the midst of all that, the names Jennifer Binder and Photofete surfaced, much to Skilling's surprise.

Binder, a former girlfriend, and her old company, Photofete, did a lot of photography work for Enron.

That's not illegal. But Skilling and Ken Lay both invested in the company without disclosing it to shareholders — a violation of Enron's ethics policy.

The $450,000 Photofete contract and personal relationships surrounding it may seem like small potatoes in the grand scheme of the company's collapse, but it's a slice of Enron history that prosecutors harped on in their attempt to shred Skilling's credibility.

After the verdict was announced, Binder shared her thoughts on her old company and her former boyfriend.

Q: Are you surprised that your name and Photofete came up at trial?

A: I was shocked when I received an e-mail from a friend saying that I had been brought up in the Enron case. It's been five years since Enron's collapse, and since that time, I took one business out of business and started another business. I was not a part of Enron's core business. I worked first as a photographer and then as a vendor providing digital asset management services to Enron's corporate communications department. It was incredibly frustrating to be dragged into the Enron trial. I'm glad it's over.

Q: What do you think of the way your relationship with Skilling and your company's dealings with Enron were portrayed by the prosecution?

A: I'm not convinced that the prosecution even needed to bring Photofete into the trial. None of the jurors today have cited that Photofete influenced their decision. I worked hard to start all of my businesses. I do not appreciate the way the prosecution presented me or my business. Photofete was a real company that delivered services to our clients and dealt with tackling their business needs.

Marge Nadasky of Enron testified that "the system was a huge hit, in fact bigger than we thought it would be." She made it clear that the corporate communications department decided to hire Photofete without the influence of Jeff Skilling or Ken Lay, and I think the prosecution presented it differently.

As far as the relationship goes, I was single, Jeff was single. We met when I took his photo for BusinessWeek and we dated. Jeff was recently divorced. It did not work out long-term, and I'm obviously happy about that.

Q: You must have feelings about how being in the limelight could affect you and your business. What's the message you want out there?

A: This has been a painful learning experience. It's not easy reliving a nightmare. I was fortunate to have my youth, learn a great deal and rebuild my third business.

I started at the bottom, interning for photographers and working for $75 a shoot ... Skilling encouraged me to make Photofete bigger than what I had planned, but I worked very hard, from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. for two years. I'm proud of the work I did.

Q: Did you speak to Skilling during the course of the trial?

A: No, I have not spoken to Skilling in years.

Q: What do you think of the verdict?

A: I'm not surprised that Jeff cannot accept the verdict. I remember a conversation we had once where Jeff and I discussed whether or not talented people are capable of failure. He believed that if you have talent, you will succeed no matter what. I don't think that is the case.